FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to putters and particularly to putters which have adjustable lie, alternative lofts and selectable head weights.
Definitions
In order to establish the vocabulary used in this specification, the following definitions are quoted from Webster's Third New International Dictionary:
address 10a: to take one's stance and adjust the club preparatory to hitting (a golf ball) PA1 blade 2g: the striking surface of a golf club or a hockey stick PA1 face 9b: the striking surface of the head (as of a hammer or golf club) PA1 golf 1: a game whose object is to sink a golf ball into each of the 9 or 18 successive holes on a golf course by using as few strokes of a golf club as possible and avoiding various natural or artificial hazards or obstacles PA1 hook n 6b: a flight of a ball (as in golf, cricket, bowling, baseball) that deviates from a straight course in a direction opposite to the dominant hand of the player projecting it PA1 iron 2k: one of a series of golf clubs numbered 1 through 9 that have heads of iron or occasionally other metal laid back at a progressively greater angle so as to give progressively greater height and less distance to the flight of the ball PA1 lie 5: the angle of the blade or clubhead with the shaft of a hockey stick or golf club PA1 loft 5a 1: the backward slant of a face of a golf-club head PA1 slice n a flight of a ball (as in golf, tennis, volley ball) that deflects to the right of a right-handed player or to the left of a left-handed player usually as a result of being hit across its center line; also: a ball following such a course v 3a: to put a slice on a stroke or ball b of a ball: to curve in flight in the direction of a slice PA1 stance 4a: the position of the feet of a golfer or batter preparatory to making a swing
v 5a of a ball: to travel in or be a hook (the ball hooked badly but bounced onto the fairway)
Problem
The individual characteristics of different golfers are not the same, so that the golfers' natural stance differs and swing planes vary. Also, the right eye of one golfer may be dominant, the left eye of another golfer may be dominant and, in another golfer, neither eye may be dominant, so that different golfers see a target differently, particularly since the golfer is standing sidewise to the direction in which the ball is to be hit. Moreover, some golfers have naturally lighter swings and other golfers have heavier swings.
Also, putting greens differ, some being faster than others, and the performance of a golf ball struck in a particular manner differs between a wet green and a dry green.
All of these factors affect the course and distance that a struck golf ball travels.
A specific example of a problem encountered by golfers is that, if the natural stance and swing of a golfer are consistent and the golfer believes that he is aiming the ball at the desired target, i.e., a hole in a putting green, and yet the ball is consistently deflected to one side or the other of the hole, the present invention provides an expedient for overcoming such ball deflecting without the golfer changing his address of the ball or swing. Thus, if the ball is consistently deflected to the left of the tee, the lie of the golf club can be increased so that the toe of the clubhead is depressed while the angle of the shaft relative to the ground remains constant, which will result in the course of the ball being deflected to the right so that it follows a straight shot to the hole.
Alternatively, if the ball is consistently deflected to the right of the hole, the lie of the golf club can be reduced so that, using the same stroke with the angle of the shaft to the ground unchanged, the toe of the clubhead will be raised, resulting in the ball being deflected to the left to travel a straight shot to the the hole.
Prior Art
Attempts have been made to solve or reduce the foregoing problem as to accuracy and predictability of a golf ball travel by providing custom putters for individual golfers which can be of various types of construction and have a lie, a loft and a head weight considered to be best suited to the particular golfer. In some instances the lie of a golf club is altered by bending the shaft adjacent to the head, but this procedure may injure or weaken the golf club shaft, and it is difficult to make a fine adjustment using this procedure.